The $750,000, 12-week Wellington City Council project meant removing and replacing sewerage pipes to more than 40 households.

Rufino says it is an urgent job. Oxford St is a busy street, with a primary school, kindergarten, Woolworths and access to the Tawa railway station and college.

The sewerage pipes are 60 to 80 years old.

Mr Guinto says for this kind of job Wellington City Council health regulations and procedures must be followed. They check there is no gas from the sewage and that sewage does not flow into stormwater drains.

Temporary pipes were put into place for sewage to flow into a tank before the work began, says Mr Guinto.

Floyd Sao, foreman for contractors Ground Works, says the job is at the stage of hooking sewerage lateral pipes to the homes.

He says work slowed because they had to wait for the school day to end before working in the grounds.

Councillor Ngaire Best says the project has gone according to schedule.

The project was funded via the city council’s annual plan, in which the infrastructure budget account for drainage, waste water and water supply capital expenditure is $8 million to $10 million.

The council hired Sinclair Knight Consultants to investigate the problem, and then its own Wellington water management team reviewed the consultants’ report.